Musical instrument



Aug. 2.9, 1933 A. R. HARMoN Y 1,924,854

MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 25. 1932 MTW,

i MHH i Af'af .@.Hafmofz |NvENToR- Y Z'BY lo. j? j! mb wQ/o. ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENr MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Arthur R. Harmon, La Grange, Ill.

Application November 25, 1932 Serial No. 644,346

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments.

One object of the invention is to provide means for varying the tension momentarily oi one or more strings of a musical instrument, such as a guitar, during the playing of the same, whereby diferent chords may be produced by a particular group of strings.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism which can be operated by the leg of the player for operating the tensioning means, thus leaving his hands free for manipulation of the strings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stringed musical instrument having an additional string normally positioned out of playing position but which can be elevated into such position during the playing of the instrument. l Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which would be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a guitar embodying the present improvements,

Figure 2 is a side elevaiton thereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the lines 3*3 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the portion oi' the instrument shown in Figure 3,

Figure is a iront elevation of an eXtra string elevating device,

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

1n the drawing, 10 indicates the upper surface of a sound box of a guitar having a conventional neck 11 provided with a bridge 12. The guitar is shown provided with conventional strings 13, 14, 15, 16, 1'7 and 18, which in the order stated may be strings E, C sharp, A, E, A and E.

In the embodiment of the invention herein described, means are provided for modifying momentarily the tension of strings 14 and 15. The mechanism for momentarily varying the tension of these strings so as to alter the pitch oi the same is shown clearly in Figures 3 and 4. This mechanism may comprise a shell or channel member 12 which is secured by screws or the like at 20 to opposite sides of the neck 1l, which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. In the bottom of the channel member 19 is a bracket or lug 21 to which a leg or knee operable member 22 is provided at 23. Secured to the short arm of the pivoted member 22 is a slidable rod 24 which is guided in its reciprocating movements by transverse brackets or partitions 25, 25a and 26, and at its opposite end is pivotally connected at 27 to the tensioning member 28. The tensioning member is pivotally secured as at 29 to a bracket 30 which is secured to the channel member 19.

The upper end oi the tensioning member 28 is preferably provided with an open slot 21 within which passes the string 14.

A spring 32 is disposed between the bracket 26 and a pin 33 in the rod 24 and tends to move the rod to the right as viewed in Figure 4.

1t will be seen that if the member or lever 22 is pressed to the right by the players leg, the rod 24 will move to the leit and thus tilt the tensioning member 28 clockwise and reduce the tension of the spring 14. if string 14 is C sharp the reduction of tension can be such as to change the string from C sharp to C. Upon release of the lever 22 by the leg oi the player, the spring 32 will move the rod 24 and the tensioning member 28 in the opposite directions mentioned above, and restore this string i4 to its original tension.

Any suitable stop means be provided for limiting the movement or tensioning niember 28 when the lever is pressed. Such means is shown in Figure 3 as comprising a threaded stem 34 carried by the lever, the iree end of which passes through a stop meir., er 35. An adjustable nut 36 is carried by the threaded stem 34, which abuts the member to limit the outward movement oi the lever 2G, as will be apparent.

Another lever or adjusting member 37 is pivoted at 38 to a lug 39, which lever is adapted to be operated in the opposite direction by the leg or knee of the player positioned between said levers 22 and 37. A slidable rod 40 is secured to the upper end oi the lever 37 and at its opposite end is operatively connected to the second tensioning member 41 which is pivoted at 42 to the bracket or support 43.

In Figure 3 the member 41 is shown as being provided with an angular member 44 which has its end extending through an arcuate slot 45 in a vertical plate 46. This laterally extending portion oi the member is e""'iployed for the purpose of making connection i i tie rod 40, although it will be apparent that the end ci the rod 40 might be oiiset su?" ntly connected to the member 41 in a me er similar to the connection of the rod 24 with the member 28.

The upper end oi the tensioning member 41 is provided w-. a slot through which passes the string 3.5 which may be A string. When the lever Si is moved to the leit as viewed in Figure 3, the rod 40 moves to the right and thus moves tensioning member 41 in a counter-clockwise direction which due to the angular relation oi the member' 41 with respect to the string increases the tension 'thereof and may thus raise the A string one half note or convert it into a B flat string.

The lever 37 may be provided with a threaded stud 34 which passes through a stop member 35 for causing the screw 36 to abut said stop as described above with reference to the other lever 22.

The rod 40 is provided with ka spring 40a which tends to return the rod and tensioning member 41 to the position shown in Figure 3 when the leg of the operator is removed from lever 37.

The members 28 and 41 project upwardly through the neck 11 in a suitable opening 48 which may be provided for that purpose. The various strings may be anchored at their forward ends in the conventional manner, and are provided also with conventional keys 49 at the end of the neck.

If, as was assumed above, strings 13, 14 and 15 are strings E, C sharp and A, the strumming of them will produce a major chord. If the lever 22 is actuated as above described to reduce the tension of the string 14 as mentioned, a minor chord will be produced. In other words, the tensioning means in effect add additional strings to the instrument.

In Figure 1 I have shown a channel member 50 having an arm 51 pivoted therein as at 52, as shown in Figure 5.

A spring 53 is provided for normally holding the arm 51 in the inclined position shown in said ligure. An extra string 54 is secured to the right hand end of the arm 51 as viewed in -Figure 5, which is disposed between strings 15 and 16, but at a lower elevation, and at its opposite ends is secured to a key 55 illustrated in Figure 2. The arm 51 is provided with a handle 56 bymeans of which the arm can be moved upon its pivot to elevate the string 54 to the plane of strings 13 to 18 inclusive.

This provides an additional string for the guitar which can be brought into playing position by merely depressing the handle portion 56 momentarily, since upon release of the same the string is carried to the position shown in Fig'- ure 5 by the spring 53.

Guitars of the type mentioned are usually supported on the legs of the player and in utin lizing the present improvements one leg of the player is disposed between the operating levers 22 and 37. Movement of the leg slightly in one direction or the other is all that is required to vary the tension of either of strings 14 or 15, as will be apparent.

While I have shown and described a structure embodying the principles of my improvements, I do not wish to be restricted specically thereto except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A musical instrument adapted to rest on a leg of the player comprising a sound box and a neck, a plurality of strings thereon, individual string tensioning members for certain of said strings, and mechanism carried by said neck and operable by the leg of the player for selectively actuating said members for varying the tension of the respective strings for modifying the pitch thereof.

2. A musical instrument adapted to rest on a leg of the player comprising a sound box and a neck, a plurality of strings thereon, a pair of string ensioning members adjacent the end oi said neck remote from said sound box and each adapted to engage one of said strings, and leg operable mechanism comprising means depending from said neck intermediate said members and said sound box for actuating either of said members to eilect a variation in the pitch of the respective string.

3. A musical instrument adapted to rest on a leg of the player comprising a sound box and a neck, a plurality of strings thereon, a pair of string tensioning members each adapted to engage one of said strings, and leg operable mechanism carried by said neck for actuating either of said members to effect a variation in the pitch of the respective string, said mechanism comprising a pair of levers depending beneath said neck and links connecting the same with said members.

4. A stringed musical instrument having a. neck adapted to rest upon a leg of the player, a pair of tensioning members movably carried by said neck and each adapted to engage one of said strings, a pair of depending leg operable levers at the lower side of said neck and spaced apart longitudinally oi said neck for accommodating the leg of the player between the saine, and means operatively connecting each of said levers to one of said tensioning members for actuating the same for eiecting a variation in the pitch of the respective string.

5. A stringed musical instrument having a neck adapted to rest upon a leg of the player, a pair of movable tensioning members carried by said neck and each adapted to engage one of said strings, a pair of depending leg operable levers at the lower side of said neck and spaced apart for accommodating the leg of the player between the same, means connecting each of said levers to one of said tensioning members for actuating the same for effecting a variation in the pitch of the respective string, and an adjustable stop for limiting the tensioning movement of each of said tensioning members.

6. A stringed musical instrument having a neck adapted to rest upon a leg of the player, a pair of movable tensioning members carried by said neck and each adapted to engage one of said strings, a pair of depending leg operable levers at the lower side of said neck and spaced apart for accommodating a leg of the player between the same, means connecting each of said levers to one of said tensioning members for actuating the same for effecting a variation in the pitch of the respective string, and an adjustable stop for limiting the tensioning movement of each of said tensioning members, said stops each comprising a relatively stationary member positioned adjacent each lever and a threaded stem and nut carried by each lever and cooperating with the respective stationary member.

7. A musical instrument comprising a sound box and a neck, a plurality of strings arranged thereon, a movable string tensioning member carried by said neck adjacent the end remote from said sound bor; and adapted to engage one of said strings, and means extending along said neck toward said sound box to a position convenient for operation by the leg of the user for actuating said tensioning means.

8. The combination with a stringed musical instrument comprising a neck and sound box having a plurality of strings thereon, of a pair of of independently movable string tensioning members carried by said neck, spring means for retaining one of said members normally in engagement With one of said strings for increasing the tension thereof and said other tensioning member out of engagement with its respective string, and mechanism comprising leg operable means depending from said neck for selectively actuating said tensioning members in directions against the action of said spring means to decrease the tension of said rst mentioned string or increase the tension on said second mentioned string.

ARTHUR R. HARMON. 

